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Legs 11 (NO) – “Love from Above”

Legs 11 bills itself as “kind of an Oslo underground supergroup.” Its members have played in Oslo-based acts including Palace of Pleasure and Tøyen, but even if they had no prior musical experience, they’d sound well-seasoned. The cyborg joy of “Love from Above,” one of the songs featured on Legs 11’s recent compilation Better Hair Days, reaches back to the era when bands such as New Order released electronic music with arrangements that were clearly the work of a group rather than one individual savant with a computer and an internet connection. Both methods of electronic music production have resulted in unforgettable, life-altering works spanning several decades, but Legs 11 and “Love from Above” seem to exist to remind modern listeners that a foursome can land on a certain kind of sprawling, eternally cycling electronic groove in ways that find excitement completely differently than sole producers often do.

Through heavily processed vocal filters, Legs 11 narrates the arrival of a benevolent alien existence to Earth, one that brings the track’s titular “Love from Above.” “Yes it’s true/We’re not from here,” sings Legs 11’s frontperson, often joined in harmony by another band member. As he continues to croon in his John Maus-esque beckon, he speaks for his alien race: “We’re from another atmosphere/Some people call us aliens/Don’t be afraid/Take no offense/We’re only here to bring you love/We have so much to share.”

Although “Love from Above” seems to hearken back to the 1980s (the decade arguably most rife with alien and UFO theories in the latter half of the 20th century) both in sound and in lyrical content, the band keeps things modern with one sentiment in particular: “Don’t believe what you’ve been told,” sings Legs 11’s frontman, “We bring love from above.” Legs 11’s alien race may be symbolic of how the marginalized groups that governments and media teach the public to fear may actually be among the world’s most peaceful, compassionate, and visionary people. Although the keyboard loops and echo-laden percussive shuffle of “Love from Above” and Legs 11 sound of a different time and planet, the foursome has crafted a narrative with modern relevance.

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Max Freedman is the Managing Editor of Nordic Spotlight. Now based in Philly after a lifetime of living in and around NYC, he spends his days searching for the next Björk and his nights searching for the next Björk. His byline can also be found in FACT, Vinyl Me Please, Bandcamp Daily, Paste, FLOOD, and more.